New 2D Materials Could Transform Advanced Electronics

UMBC 2D Materials Research Team

Materials science is entering an exciting new era with the discovery of super-thin, two-dimensional (2D) materials. These ultra-thin substances—just a few atomic layers thick—possess remarkable properties that could power the next generation of electronic devices. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), researchers have unveiled a new approach to predict and design 2D materials for advanced electronics.

The Promise of 2D Materials

Imagine a material as thin as a sheet of paper, yet strong and conductive enough to enable revolutionary advances in memory devices, sensors, and energy-efficient electronics. These are 2D materials, held together by weak van der Waals forces that make them flexible yet resilient. Some even exhibit ferroelectricity, the ability to maintain and reverse an electric charge, making them ideal for use in memory storage and advanced sensors.

The UMBC research team, led by Ph.D. candidate Peng Yan and Assistant Professor Joseph Bennett, focused on a class of 2D materials called van der Waals layered phosphochalcogenides. Their findings, published in Chemistry of Materials (July 2025), could drastically accelerate the discovery of new functional materials.

Mining for Materials in the Digital Age

To uncover promising candidates, the researchers combined data mining, computer modeling, and structural analysis. They tapped into the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database and used quantum structural diagrams to identify materials with traits conducive to electronic applications.

“These quantum structural diagrams act like a treasure map, guiding us to regions of chemical space where new, stable 2D materials are likely to exist,” said Bennett. Their approach yielded 83 potential new materials, potentially expanding the catalog of known ferroelectric 2D materials by an unprecedented margin.

From Prediction to Lab Validation

Working with collaborators at the University of Maryland, College Park, the team synthesized and tested several predicted materials, proving the power of their data-guided approach. As Bennett explains, “It’s like having a recipe book for materials that haven’t been made yet, which saves time and resources.”

This predictive capability is a game-changer for industries seeking faster, more sustainable pathways to innovation. Applications range from memory devices that retain data without power, to sensors for military and environmental monitoring, to low-power electronics that extend battery life in everyday devices.

Looking Ahead

The team is now using high-throughput density functional theory (DFT) simulations to explore the 83 candidate materials in more depth. With this data-guided strategy, the UMBC researchers are paving the way for next-generation electronic materials that could transform technology across sectors.

Learn more about this breakthrough in the original article:
New 2D Materials for Advanced Electronics

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#2DMaterials #Nanotechnology #Ferroelectricity #MaterialsDiscovery #QuantumChemistry #QuantumServerNetworks

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